Parcel Pro for a collector’s peace of mind

by Fong Sam

I have add Parcel Pro to the “Partners” page. This page shows all the companies that I am working with. I am thankful to have made a lot of connections over the years and I will be adding more partners as I reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

All collectors should consider using the services that Parcel Pro offers. Parcel Pro is a one-stop shop shipping solution that offers insurance for your packages while in transit. Collectors who use FedEx or UPS will know that both carriers have limitations of declared value coverage for certain commodities and neither carriers offer true insurance. In fact, FedEx’s terms and conditions state:

The declared value of any package represents our maximum liability in connection with a shipment of that package, including, but not limited to, any loss, damage, delay, misdelivery, nondelivery, misinformation, any failure to provide information, or misdelivery of information relating to the shipment. It is the shipper’s responsibility to prove actual damages. Exposure to and risk of any loss in excess of the declared value is assumed by the shipper. You may transfer this risk to an insurance carrier of your choice through the purchase of an insurance policy. Contact an insurance agent or broker if you desire insurance coverage. WE DO NOT PROVIDE INSURANCE COVERAGE OF ANY KIND.

Repeat: FedEx does not offer insurance of any kind. “Collector’s items such as coins, stamps, sports cards, souvenirs and memorabilia” are limited to a maximum declared value of $1,000. UPS offers a more generous maximum declared value of $50,000 with pre-approval. Again, these are declared values. Which means if your item is damaged, destroyed or lost, your claim amount is limited to what you can declare. Of course, anyone unfortunate enough to have filed a claim with FedEx or UPS knows how frustrating and infuriating the process can be. And: “It is the shipper’s responsibility to prove actual damages.”

Parcel Pro offers a simple solution with a consolidated user interface for both FedEx and UPS services, so you can choose the carrier without opening multiple webpages. Parcel Pro also offers deep discounts on both FedEx and UPS shipping, since they transfer their preferred status discounts with both carriers directly to their customers). Finally, Parcel Pro offers true insurance up to $150,000 for US and $75,000 for overseas transit. You can even add supplemental coverage if you have deductibles or coverage elsewhere.

Some collectors will undoubtedly already have coverage for their collection that includes transit insurance. So why would anyone consider using Parcel Pro’s insurance features? Consider this: Would you file a claim with your insurance for items that are valued at a few thousand dollars at the risk of your premiums increasing? Probably not, especially given Parcel Pro’s 35 cents per $1,000 coverage. For anything above $150,000, you’re probably better off using your block policy cap.

When I was at Profiles in History, I wanted to use Parcel Pro entirely for our shipments. It made sense to offers customers insurance for their auction purchases, as well as a choice of carriers (currently Profiles ships primarily via FedEx and does not offer insurance of any kind). Unfortunately, the decision was made to not use the service. Now that I am on my own, I have happily updated my account with Parcel Pro and will be using it frequently.

One Comment to “Parcel Pro for a collector’s peace of mind”

Thanks so much for the information. I’ve been using G4S and Lumis for a while, and both of them are junk. I can never get a hold of anyone, and I’ve had two claims in the past year where I had an automatic denial with no cause or reason. I’ll give Parcel Pro a try and see how that works. Will be sure to update!